Central corneal thickness in children with adenotonsillary hypertrophy

Abstract

Emine Cinici

Aim: We aimed to detect whether the central corneal thickness value in children with advanced phase ATH (it is indicated with OSAS at large extent ) becomes different from that of children of the same age. Materials and Method: Prepubertal, nonobese, 6-12 years of age children were included in the study. The first group consisted of 15 patients (mean age, 8.13 ± 1.6 years; body index, 19.43 ± 2.11), and the second group consisted of 42 patients (mean age, 8.65 ± 2.7 years; body mass index 20.93 ± 5.71). The control group consisted of 31 subjects. Comprehensive otolaryngologic examinations of all children were done by an otolaryngologist. Following tonasal endoscopy, the levels of adenoid hypertrophy were graded from 1 towards 4 according to the criteria of Cassano et al., i.e., grade 1 as 25%, grade 2 as 25-50 %, grade 3 50-75%, and grade 4 over 75% were evaluated as adenoid hypertrophy making airway obstruction. Tonsillary hypertrophy was graded using the Brodsky scale. Tonsillar size was graded as follows: grade 1, small tonsils confined to the tonsillar pillors; grade 2, tonsils extended just outside the pillors; grade 3, tonsils extended outside the pillors but did not meet at the midline; grade 4, large tonsils met at the midline. The patients whose adenoid and tonsil hypertrophies became grade 3 and 4 were evaluated as advanced level ATH, and they were included in the study. After the complications of all the patients were evaluated, visual acuity, measurement of intra eye-pressure and biomicroscopyand fundus treatment were performed. Central corneal thickness (CCT) of the patients was measured under topical anesthesia using an ultrasonic packmetry device. Results: There was no statistically significant distinction among all groups according to the results obtained by Duncan’s multiple comparison procedure ( p>0.01 ). Conclusions: We could not find a statistically significant distinction between the corneal thickness and ATH. Further studies in more advanced age groups or using a wider range of patients series will test whether this result is also observed in the children who have been exposed to the disease for longer periods of time.